Fr. Mike and Interrupting the Silence

I am married to Cyndy. We have two sons. Our older son died in 2009. Our younger son and his wife moved to Maui, Hawaii, following his discharge from the Marines.

I have wanted to be a priest since elementary school. As many do, however, I took the longer road. Before going to seminary I practiced law for fifteen years. My formal education includes:
+ BS, University of Texas at El Paso, 1982;
+ JD, Texas Tech University School of Law, 1985;
+ MDiv, The School of Theology, University of the South – Sewanee, 2003; and
+ DMin, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, 2012.

Though my life is active I try to live contemplatively with silence, stillness, and solitude. I try to base all that I do and am in a life of prayer and study. I am drawn towards desert, monastic, and mystical spiritualities. My theology has been deeply formed by the patristic tradition of Eastern Orthodoxy. I seek to stand at the intersection of Episcopal breadth and Orthodox depth.

Why the title Interrupting the Silence? St. John of the Cross, a 16th century mystic and poet, says that silence is God’s first language. My life of prayer and study are attempts, through God’s grace and blessing, to become fluent in this language. Who, then, am I to interrupt the silence, to interrupt God with my words?

I read somewhere that if our words will not contribute to the silence then we should say nothing. I offer my words, interrupting the silence, with the hope that somehow they might contribute to the silence. And when they do not I offer them as my confession with the hope of forgiveness.

The words I offer are my own, though not always original with me. They do not necessarily represent the views of the parish I serve, the Episcopal Diocese of West Texas, the Episcopal Church, or any other group or organization.

“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heartbe acceptable to you, O Lord.”
– Psalm 19:14

Carl, I just recently found your blog and have enjoyed it. My wife and I were in Sewanee 2000-2003. It was a great experience for us. Like you we consider our time there some of the best years of our life. We miss Sewanee. I have been back for short visits a couple of times.

Dan, in many ways the answer is to your question is “yes.” Yes, it is just a blog – my thoughts, questions, wonderings, and discoveries. And yes it is an introduction to the spiritual life – perhaps mine more than anyone else. If the blog somehow helps another in their own spiritual journey…Thanks be to God.

Hi Mike,
I just found your blog by searching “diocese of west texas” congrats! The diocese will be setting up a blog page for communications during General Convention. We’re having fun testing a staff page right now.

Erlinda, thank you for reading my blog and placing it on your blogroll. I appreciate your kind comment and look forward to hearing from you again. If you are ever in this area please stop by. Blessings on your journey. Mike+

Peace be with you. I linked to your video of Taize at the bottom of a recent post. I found my way here via “Liturgy, Worship, Spirituality”. I have you bookmarked now. Mine has been a long journey – and I expect it to be longer still. From depth to depth.

Thank you for your Advent words -it fed me well in my journeying into Advent. I am trying to help my people enter into the experience of silence.This is a new journey for them. As a start this Advent, I am inviting them to join me in silent reflection in our prayer corner before we begin the service. I look forward to more of your reflections. Blessings and greetings from this little Australian corner of the world!

Robyn, thank you for reading my Advent post. I am glad you found it helpful. A great practice and gift to teach silence. I enjoyed looking at your parish site. Really like the prayer corner. May your and your parish’s Advent be blessed with holy silence. Peace, Mike+

Not sure how I stumbled across your blog but am really glad that I did. The thoughts and the videos were just what I needed at this crossroad in my life. I have realized that it is a matter of “Do the next right thing”, and have started the journey. Thank you so much.

Oh, if the name sounds remotely familiar, I worked at MD&A back in the 90s.
Thanks again – Jan

Mike, for more than I year now I have been reading your blog. I am always encouraged and blessed by both the truth and the honesty that you hold forth. Generally your posts carry a depth that I am drawn to; a depth that is strangely beautiful; a depth that touches on the unfathomable depths of God. Yet again I realize just how very privileged I am to be called child of God; to taste d i v i n e d e p t h. Somehow, when reading your posts, I don’t feel so alone in wanting more of what is authentically from God. I do believe that there are many like me, whom God has touched through your “interrupting the silence”, who refrain from commenting for various reasons. Today I simply couldn’t ignore the compulsion within. THANK YOU from a sunny South Africa!

From time to time I seek to “interrupt” my silence and solitude with the words that come through this site. Thank you, Father Mike for allowing the Word to express itself through you. Isn’t this what God did in the beginning? He interrupted the Eternal Silence to speak over the void?
Isn’t this what happened at the Annunciation when the Angel interrupted Mary’s life of silence in the Temple? Isn’t this what happened when at Midnight the Word lept into our midst as Jesus? Isn’t this what happens when there is a solitary, silent, still place where yearning calls forth newness to the Glory of God! At these moments of “epiphany” we are filled with awe and wonder at the marvelous works of God throughout history, as well as in our own lives! From true Silence comes the Word bursting with Light!. May this Word of God continue to inhabit the quiet still spaces of your soul, and burst forth with Light, for souls seeking the Light of Life: Christ Jesus manifested at Christmastide, as Emmanuel — God with us! Blessings all ways during this 2012, Father Mike!

Fred, the Orthodox position on these two issues is deeply rooted in their understanding of the Tradition and I think it is unlikely that either will happen anytime soon. I am not aware that these questions are even being discussed.

So we can expect their nuns to start protesting this fact just like Catholics nuns are now? How about their priests getting married after their wives die-why can’t they do this? Why should Progressives support or admire groups that refuse to grant basic rights to their members, like allowing their clergy to marry or ordaining women? Is it enough to paint pretty pictures for mainline Protestants to admire people? Or do we just not care about the sufferings of Orthodox women like we do about Catholic women because we don’t have nearly as many of them in our social circles? I call that inconsistent, even hypocritical.

No doubt there are times when I have been “inconsistent, even hypocritical” with my words and actions. Forgive me if I have offended you. I am not sure what you are asking or wanting. While I do not hold the same position as the Orthodox concerning ordination of woman and clergy marriage I do find much in their theology that is of value and consistent with Anglican thought.

I was born in the Christian Orthodox tradition, and yes…I could easily detect that
you “seek to stand at the intersection of Episcopal breadth and Orthodox depth.”

My most beloved representative for Christianity is Meister Eckhart.

I am too what you may call a “mystic”. The Godhead is only understood only through direct, unmediated relation.
Thus any “distinct” dogma which places the individual outside himself creating duality is bound to fail. That is why I heard that your words are born out of a true understanding of man´s nature. You speak from “inside”.

I do not exaggerate telling you that except a monk I had met years ago in Athos who made a mark on me,
you are the first church representative who directly touched me this way.

Julien, I appreciate this additional conversation. Orthodoxy has had a profound influence on and shaped my life and theology. I too have an affinity for Meister Eckhart. Just earlier today I wrote a Christmas article that referenced and quoted him.

In many ways I see the Incarnation and the Holy Trinity as the antithesis and antidote to the duality that dismembers our lives and world. Part of the work of theology, it seems to me, is to lead us to the interior life, form our inner lives, and guide us in living from the inside out. I am afraid I often speak this better than I live it and you give me too much credit. Your reference to Mount Athos is most timely. I am researching and planning a trip to the Holy Mountain as part of a sabbatical I hope to take in 2015.

As long as I have known you (is it possible that it has been 24 years?) you have been consistently introspective, quiet, thoughtful, and thus, credible. Juries thought so in your previous career, and I am certain parishioners do today. Best to you, my friend. John

Father Mike, I feel that God has led me to your site. I am a former Orthodox Christian who is trying to discern God’s direction for my life. My husband is exploring the Episcopalian Church. Thank you for sharing your beautiful prayer for the people of Aleppo. God Bless you.

Welcome to my blog. I am glad you found it and I hope it offers something of what you are looking for. I also hope your husband and maybe you too, will find a home in the Episcopal Church. I suspect you see some similarities to the Orthodox Church. You may have noticed from my blog that Orthodoxy has been important to and formative in my life. Blessing on your discernment. May God grant you wisdom and guidance.

Hello Father Mike–I had to chuckle as I hit the ‘follow’ button. I am Catholic and my Episcopalian friends always said, “Episcopalian, you know–almost Catholic.’ So from this ‘almost Episcopalian’ I look forward to your posts. I just read the letter to Trump and I love the Fr Thomas Merton reference.

Thanks so much Lois fro reading my blog and for your comment. Fr. Merton has been a long time guide and teacher for me. Whether he was “almost Episcopalian” or I am “almost Catholic” I am not sure but we connected and I am grateful.

Fr. Mike, I am a graduate of Texas Military Institute, Class of 1995, I wanted to drop you a quick note and thank you for your “thank you letter to the President” In all the bluster from all sides, there is great solace in your words, and commitments from within. Thank you for being a beacon in all the “rough water and noise” that surrounds us

Dear Fr. Mike, thank you, thank you, for putting into words what my soul was trying to tell me. When I went to vote I was praying all the way in anxiety. I kept asking “Please God, help me do the best for my country.” He answered me with, “Vote your faith and principles.” I did. Now I’m still praying that my faith still guide me with peace, caring, kindness and love.

Have you considered becoming a Catholic and then a Catholic priest? The door is open. We need more good men. And you need the Real Presence of the Body and Blood of Jesus, as we all do. Praying for you .

Thanks for your prayers and your question. I do not foresee myself becoming Roman Catholic. I believe that, as an Episcopalian, I am already a part of the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church; and that the Eucharist we celebrated this morning was the real presence of Jesus’ body and blood.

Greetings! I just wanted to say I found your writings via Forward Day by Day, and granted we’re only five days into the month, but I have been moved by your meditations every single day so far. (Ironically, the message today about Jesus’ temptation to doubt who God said he is was the topic of a sermon I heard last week–which had never been pointed out before. I sent it to the pastor and he was delighted to read that). I just wanted to say thanks for sharing your words and wisdom and for contributing to the silence 🙂

Dear Fr. Michael,
I have been reading your meditations this month in FORWARD and have been very moved and inspired by them. You have an exceptional gift. I’m very grateful that you broke the silence to speak and write.
Bless you and thank you * Bendithio chi and diolch yn fawr iawn
From Caroline and the Welsh Wing of the Anglican communion.

Thank you Caroline for your kind and encouraging words. I’m glad you’ve found the meditations meaningful. I am also very glad to hear from the Welsh Wing of the Anglican Communion, and to receive a Welsh blessing.

Fr Mike, I wasn’t aware that you were Anglo-Catholic, when I read your thoughts on Genesis 22!!! I was introduced to your thoughts in a post from a Friend, Tony Nada, and I rejoiced in the fact that many people are still using critical thinking in their thoughts on Scripture, like William Paul Young of “The Shack.” Thoughts that continue to stir my soul are always helpful!!! muchlove and Prayers!!!chet!!!

Thank you, Chet, for your encouraging words and for reading my blog. I try to read the scriptures from a critical/mystical/imaginative perspective. I think the scriptures are intended, to borrow your words, to stir our souls. I am grateful for your love and prayers.

Hi Father Mike, I found your website while searching for litanies dedicated to the angels. Seeing the icon I thought at first I found an Eastern Orthodox site. Then I read your bio and discovered some similarities. My husband is Greek Orthodox. I am Byzantine Catholic. I am also a Secular Discalced Carmelite. St. John of the Cross is a favourite of mine. Interrupting the silence spoke to my heart. Your blog will be on my regular reading list. Blessings, Virginia

Virginia, thank you for reading my blog and your kind words. As you read, the Eastern Christian tradition has been very influential in my life. My spiritual directors have been in the line of St. John of the Cross and he too has been one of my teachers and guides. I am rereading the Spiritual Canticle. May God’s peace and blessing be upon you and your husband. Mike+

Father Mike, you might find Robert Cardinal Sarah’s book, “The Power of Silence – Against The Dictatorship Of Noise”, of interest if you aren’t familiar with this already. I have only read the first chapter but from the table of contents this book looks like a book one will read again and again.
Blessings, Virginia

I am on a bus in Jordan with BYU students. We just crossed the Jabbok River. I loved your reflection on Jacob’s experience there. Thank you! My daughter is studying Jewish and Islamic mysticism at Cambridge. She’s going to love it t she’s going to love it too. If you happen to be in Jordan during the fall in the next two years or Utah the rest of the year, do let me know.

Kirk, thanks so much for your comment and for reading my blog. I hope you are having a good trip in Jordan. I was there for the first time about two years ago. It was an amazing place and experience, and I would like to return sometime. I appreciate your kind offer. Your daughter’s study sounds fascinating. I’ve read just enough of both to know I’d like to learn more.

Fr. Mike. I had searched nearly everywhere trying to find an entry to the very difficult Luke 9:51-62 which might speak to my UCC congregation in Utah. Your interpretation is inspiring. Thank you! Only now I need to edit my thoughts that your words have inspired …
I will be a regular reader of your blog from now on.
Pastor Martha. PCUSA retired but still preaching

I’m a born-again Christian , converted form Islam
I had an amazing encounter with Jesus many years ago
reading your sermons and be blessed, trying to translating some of them in Farsi( Persian)
for my own communities and ministires among Iranian .
God bless you
in His Love and Grace
Dari

Dari, thank you so much for telling me this. I am grateful for your deep faith and ministry of translation. May the holy angels of God guard and keep you, his saints pray for you, and the light of love shine upon you.